THE WESTERVELT FAMILY 87

554 JAMES W. son of William (286), was b. in Schraalenburgh, Jan. 15; bap. at the same place, Jan. 28, 1798, James Westervelt and Maria Sloat, his uncle and aunt, sponsors. He m. in New York, Rachel, dau. of Adrian Bogart and Maria Bertholf, July 17, 1817, and d. at 52 West Washington Place, in the same city, April 8, 1859, in his sixty-second year. As a youth he came to New York with his parents in 1812; he soon entered business and subsequently succeeded his father in the flour trade, in partnership with his brother John, under the firm name of J.W. & J. Westervelt, in Dey Street, near Washington. Some years thereafter this co-partnership was dissolved and he entered the shipping trade, owning vessels sailing to the West Indies, China and the Mediterranean ports. In this he was eminently successful, but owing to the great fire of 1835, which destroyed a greater part of the business section of the city, he met with several financial losses, as many of the companies with whom he was insured became insolvent.

At this time he was largely interested, with his brothers Jacob and John, in lands situated in the upper portion of the city; then followed the financial panic of 1837, causing a general depression in trade and property, made him, with many other substantial merchants of the day, succumb in the almost universal collapse.

In 1838 he entered the United States Custom House, remaining in the employ of the Government until 1843, when he became a City Weigher.

He was a man of medium height, well proportioned and exceedingly handsome. His remains are interred in the family plot at Greenwood.

555 JOHN, son of William (286), was b. at Schraalenburgh, Dec. 30, 1800, and bap. at the same place, Jan. 15, 1801. He m. Eleanor, dau. of William and Eleanor (Wood) Herbert, of New York, Sept. 30, 1824, and d. in Brooklyn, Nov. 20, 1867.

When twelve years of age he came to New York. At that time the war with England was in progress (1812-14), and he frequent-